Ron Palillo, television's Horshack dies at 63

Updated 10:00 am, Tuesday, August 14, 2012

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MARCH 15: Actor Ron Palillo arrives at the AOL and Warner Bros. Launch of In2TV at the Museum of TV & Radio on March 15, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

Photo: Michael Buckner, Getty Images

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MARCH 15: Actor Ron Palillo arrives at the AOL...

**FILE**This file photo originally from ABC shows members of the cast of television sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter" in a scene in 1978 . They are, left to right; Stephen Shortridge as Beau De Labarre, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as Freddy Washington, Ron Palillo as Arnold Horshack, Robert Hegyes as Juan Epstein, foreground, John Travolta,rear, as Vinnie Barbarino and Gabe Kaplan as Gabe Kotter. Dozens of old television shows including "Welcome Back, Kotter" will be available online and free-of-charge under a deal between America Online Inc. and Warner Bros., the companies said Monday, Nov. 14, 2005.

Photo: AP

**FILE**This file photo originally from ABC shows members of the...

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MARCH 15: Actress Rita Mckenzie poses with Ron Palillo, actor at the AOL and Warner Bros. Launch of In2TV at the Museum of TV & Radio on March 15, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Photo: Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MARCH 15: Actress Rita Mckenzie poses with Ron...

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - MARCH 15: Actor Ron Palillo poses with George Lopez,actor at the AOL and Warner Bros. Launch of In2TV at the Museum of TV & Radio on March 15, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Ron Palillo, best known for the role of Arnold Horshack in the sitcom Welcome Back Kotter, has died at 63 according to the Palm Beach Post.

The Post attributes the news to Stacy Sacco, a family friend:

“He just couldn’t have been more fun and intelligent or talented. He was an amazing human being,” said Sacco of Palm Beach Gardens, who met Palillo 20 years ago when he was a guest on Ellen DeGeneres’ sitcom in Los Angeles, on which Sacco was a script supervisor. (Read more)

Palillo, a native of Cheshire, Conn. died at his home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, according to the newspaper.

The television show, which originally aired from 1975 to 1979 on ABC, starred Gabe Kaplan and a young John Travolta. Robert Hegyes, who played Juan Epstein, died earlier this year.